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News

News

Traffic calming measures introduced in Alderley Edge

Traffic calming measures introduced in Alderley Edge

Long standing proposals for a 20mph zone and traffic calming features are underway in Alderley Edge Village centre and the surrounding area which will help to reduce unsafe speeds in the area.

The works started on 23 January and have already seen the resurfacing and relining of London Road.

Completing on 5 March 2023 at London Road, the scheme will see the installation of new signage, surface treatments, kerbing works and road markings. Raised road surfaces on and near pedestrian crossings will also be installed in key places throughout the village, and in some locations in the surrounding area, including schools.

More information on the works can be found here and on the Cheshire East Highways Twitter account as works progress.

Bleak Expectations is a glorious celebration of English humour

Bleak Expectations is a glorious celebration of English humour

The King’s Senior School production of ‘Bleak Expectations’ was a glorious celebration of English humour. Anything but bleak, the show was full of brilliant bravado and masterful comic interludes.

Directed by Donald Forbes and Olivia Soutter, the riotous plot proved the perfect vehicle for the young thespians to test their dramatic range. With a more than a satirical nod to Dickens’ tendency towards the melodramatic, the show was part Goons and part Monty Python with a liberal sprinkle of Ricky Gervais.

The production starring King’s talented young thespians aged from Year 7 up to Year 13 was a glorious Dickens pastiche and played to packed audiences over a fabulous four night run. Adapted from the classic Radio 4 series, this Fifties style farce shamelessly mixed and matched renowned Dickensian scenarios to somehow form a coherent and self-consciously comic plot, with the audiences loving the caricatures that have become part of the fabric of British culture.

Narrator Sam Harman as Sir Philip Bin, masterfully held the threads together as he remembered his younger days with a mix of nostalgia and delusion. The inventor of the FlipBin, he reminisced about thwarting the malevolent Gently Benevolent played with menacing evil intent by Sixth Former Yussi Hill. So convincing were the performances that one could almost hear the dramatic silent movie style musical accompaniment.

Will Gandy as the romantic lead Pip, takes the brick bats and bruising with aplomb, showing us his character’s learning curve of maturity while playing the part with both savoir faire and fun. There was cast of fabulous cameos with Kirat Kahlon, only in Year 7, playing monster Headmaster Wackwell Hardthrasher with a gusto belying her tender years. Surely not based on today’s Head, Mr Jason Slack, her portrayal was a laughter-filled but nonetheless withering reminder of what schooling meant to previous generations, lurching from one fearful scenario to the next.

As Director and King’s Head of Drama, Donald Forbes, said: “We know this will be the first of many wonderful performances on the King’s stage from this little star.”

Older students Ben O’Donnell, Annabelle Jordan and Phoebe Harrison graced the stage in this audacious production, with confidence, charisma and gusto, showing that the more a young performer is given the chance to perform, the more they will relish the challenge.

Never so true as when the raucous chorus entered the scenes; a fully committed group of young pupils who tackled the roles of flying skunks, starving boarding school pupils and puppet jury members with great discipline and mirthful credibility.

 

 

The Business Club is back!

The Business Club is back!

We are delighted to inform members of North Cheshire Chamber of Commerce that the Chamber has joined forces with Harts Chartered Accountants and Orbit Developments as sponsors of the quarterly The Business Club lunches for 2023.

The very popular, business-focused networking events will take place throughout the year at Hollin House Hotel in Bollington.

Terry Hayward, CEO of North Cheshire Chamber said, “we have been considering adding some lunchtime events to our events calendar for some time and this was too good an opportunity to pass up.  The diversity of the attendees and the quality of the speakers that The Business Club attracts made this a very easy decision and it will compliment the breakfast and evening business events that we already run.  I look forward to working with Harts and Orbit to develop and grow the Club.”

Event dates for 2023 are:

  • Wednesday 22nd March
  • Wednesday 21st June
  • Wednesday 20th September
  • Wednesday 22nd November

The format of meeting at 11.45 for informal networking followed by a key speaker, plus two spotlight speakers and a two-course lunch will remain the same as 2022.

To book your place at the event in March please click here.

We look forward to seeing you at an event soon and in the meantime, do join us on LinkedIn in the dedicated The Business Club group

 

Cheshire and Warrington Employer Skills Survey – Time to have your Say!

Cheshire and Warrington Employer Skills Survey – Time to have your Say!

South Cheshire Chamber of Commerce is undertaking an EMPLOYER SKILLS SURVEY on behalf of all the chambers of commerce in Cheshire and Warrington, including North Cheshire Chamber. The survey findings will inform the development of the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) for Cheshire & Warrington. LSIPs are a government initiative to ensure that education and training is more closely aligned to local employer and labour market needs.

Much is changing for our local businesses. The pandemic and Brexit continue to have an impact, many businesses are facing the challenges and opportunities brought about by “net zero”, and almost every business has to trade in an increasingly digital world. By completing the survey you will ensure that support organisations and learning providers understand your needs and can tailor their support and service to you. You can complete the survey by clicking the link below (it should take no more than around 20 minutes to complete):

https://wh1.snapsurveys.com/s.asp?k=167344308374&Q0=2

The survey is open for completion until end-February but please do think about taking the time to complete it as soon as you can. You may also be contacted by a researcher from IBP Strategy & Research to complete a telephone interview. If so, please take the time to talk to them.

If you have any specific questions about the survey please feel free to contact Jason Brown at IBP by emailing j.brown@ibp.eu.com (01698 532021).

Following on from the survey, South Cheshire Chamber of Commerce are also coordinating a series of ‘deep-dive’ focus groups into specific employment sectors/interests and they are looking for attendance and input from across the region.  If you would like to take part in one or more of these sessions, which are all online via Zoom, then please click on the relevant link below and that will take you to the registration page specific to that subject:

Low Carbon – Mon. 13th February, 1pm

Health & Social Care – Tues. 14th February, 1pm

Manufacturing – Weds. 15th February, 1pm

Life Sciences – Thurs. 16th February, 10am

Digital – Thurs. 16th February, 1pm

 

Many thanks in advance for taking the time to comment on these important issues for businesses in the North Cheshire area.

Get Cyber Security Support for Your Business

Get Cyber Security Support for Your Business

Did you know that the Cyber Resilience Centre is a police-led partnership providing affordable, professional cybersecurity services to businesses in the North West?

Make UK’s recent report, ‘Cyber Resilience – The Last Line of Defence’ revealed that just under half of Britain’s manufacturers (47%) have been the victim of cybercrime. 63% said that cyber-attacks cost their business up to £5,000, with 22% saying it cost their business between £5,000 – £25,000. Our affordable, professional cyber security services can help to provide security, stability and safety to your organisation. With Cyber Resilience Centre members accessing cyber security policy templates, a free Cyber Health Check and our Cyber Incident Response Plan. For more information, click here.

Cyber Security Matters: Grow and Strengthen your Resilience to Online Crime.
We offer a range of cyber security services delivered by a team of trusted professionals, seconded police officers and innovative ethical hackers. They work with academia, private sector, public sector and leading cyber organisations to offer the very best training, guidance and services to your businesses. Businesses have continued to see a rise in cyber attacks this year, in particular ransomware
attacks, as cyber criminals’ methods are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Ransomware attacks are an increasing concern for businesses, criminals encrypt your businesses’ data and offer to give it back in exchange for a sum of money. This can be crippling and quite scary for any business, especially when you haven’t started your cyber security journey.

Talk to us today to discuss what we can do to support your business. Becoming a member of the Cyber Resilience Centre will provide vital information and insight to help you to develop
your plan to be more secure online and includes:
● Cyber Security Training provides simple and effective knowledge for people to understand their environment and provides the confidence to challenge themselves
when something doesn’t look right.
● Training includes takeaway materials and actions so your team can integrate the security measures into your organisation and create a recognised cyber champion.
● Ensure your business has the most recent cybersecurity policies and procedures in place using our templates. These help staff put the right measures in place to ensure your business has clear security strategies and can respond efficiently if an incident occurs.
● A simulated phishing exercise helps to raise your staff’s awareness of phishing emails and guards your business against the growing trend of social-engineering threats. By training your employees on what a phishing attack looks like, they are more likely to identify and report scams.

Got a question about Cyber? Let’s set up a consultation and review what current security measures you have in place and answer any questions you have about cyber security.
To learn more about what the Cyber Resilience Centre can offer your business please email Niomie – niomie@nwcrc.co.uk
Tel: 0161 706 0940
Email: info@nwcrc.co.uk
Web: https://www.nwcrc.co.uk/

Cara Technology is serious about Cyber Security

Cara Technology is serious about Cyber Security

As a business that services many other companies, Cara Technology are determined to show their clients that they take cyber security seriously. Hence why they have gone through the Government scheme Cyber Essentials themselves.

Not only have they gone through Cyber Essentials, but they went a stage further and gained their Cyber Essentials Plus certification – something they’re very proud of and shows their dedication to top-level security. They’ll be renewing this for a third time in February 2023.

Cyber Essentials is a simple but effective Government backed scheme that will help you to protect your organisation, whatever its size, against a whole range of the most common cyber-attacks.

Find out more details about Cyber Essentials HERE and watch a short video that Rob Gibbons (Cara Technology Account Manager) made with Mostyn Thompson –  an IASME-accredited consultant.

If you’d like to show your clients and prospects that your business takes Cyber security seriously and show that you can be trusted, and build confidence with Cyber Essentials, send Rob and the team at Cara Technology a message robert@cara.uk.com